Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Smollett was convicted of five felony disorderly conduct counts on December 9, 2021, following an eight-day trial.
The days proceedings lasted more than seven hours total.
As officers walked Smollett out of court, he raised his fist and shouted: I am not suicidal!
I could have said that I was guilty a long time ago!
TheEmpireactor filed a police report in 2019claimingthat he was the victim of a hate crime.
Two dozen investigators spent 3,000 hours working Smolletts case.
Law-enforcement officials ultimately said they determined that Smollett faked the crime.
Smollett was arrested on February 21, 2019.
Smollett was indicted again in February 2020; his case and trial were handled by a special prosecutor.
Chicago detective Michael Theistestified that extensive evidencehelped them determine that the alleged hate crime was actually a staged event.
Abimbola testified that he went through with the plan because he hoped Smollett would help his acting career.
Abimbolasaidthat Smollett wanted me to fake beat him up.
He told me that we needed another person to fake beat him up, Abimbola also said.
He mentioned my brother could do it.
Smolletttestifiedin his own defense, insisting:There was no hoax.
Smollett claimed he and Abumbola wound up having a sexual relationship, regularly using drugs during these encounters.
(Abimbola denied the alleged sexual relationship during his testimony.)
They alleged that Smolletts lawyers made false statements about the brothers involvement in the hoax, harming their livelihoods.
Smollett said No, your honor, when asked if he wanted to address the court before sentencing.
During Smolletts sentencing, both the prosecution and defense made their arguments for an appropriate punishment.
He made the choice to falsely report it to the Chicago Police Department because he wanted public attention.
Smolletts team argued against jail or prison.
They also read several letters asking for mercy including a missive from Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson.
Smolletts family asked for leniency, and slammed the media for their coverage of criminal proceedings.
Joel Smollett, Jussie Smolletts brother, asked the judge to spare his sibling jail time.
You havent done a good job on investigative reporting.
Linn recognized that Smolletts life was already in shambles.
Linn didnt buy the idea that Smolletts positive characteristics and good works outweighed his actions.
Linn slammed Smollett, repeatedly saying that the actor had done damage to real hate-crime victims.
